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Iraq deputy prime minister's 'Blackburn mosque jibe'

8:13pm Monday 21st January 2008

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THE Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq has claimed mosques in Blackburn are more extreme than in his home country, according to an MP.

The shock comments were allegedly made by Dr Barham Salih, who visited the town as a guest of Jack Straw in 2005.

He is reported to have told a Conservative MP: "I am not surprised that you British are facing so many problems with extremists after what I saw in those mosques in Blackburn.

"What I saw...would not be allowed here in Iraq - it would be illegal."

The comments have angered mosque leaders in the town, who have branded them "a load of rubbish".

The Lancashire Telegraph has sent a fax to Dr Salih via the Iraqi Embassy in London asking him to explain his views.

Shadow culture minister Tobias Ellwood said Dr Salih was speaking to him at a dinner party in Baghdad in November.

Mr Ellwood made the claims during a Westminster debate about terrorism.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Ellwood said: "I know Jack Straw well, but my eyebrows raise when you have a very senior Iraqi leader make comments like that.

"I do not believe these comments can be dismissed out of hand.

"I was absolutely shocked.

"He went inside the mosques, and said literature he saw would be illegal.

"He was quite clear.

"The comments are only directed at a very small proportion of mosques in the UK - the vast majority of Muslims wouldn't want to be labelled."

Salim Mulla, of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, reacted furiously to the comments.

He said Dr Salih spoke positively about what he had seen when they spoke during his visit.

Mr Mulla said: "We are going out of our way to bring the community together.

"Nobody is working harder than us at breaking down barriers.

"For Dr Salih to make these sort of comments is not very helpful at all.

"I don't know where he's coming from.

"He was very co-operative when he visited, and took lots of photographs.

"How many incidents have we had in Blackburn?

"He is talking a load of rubbish."

Dr Salih, a Sunni Muslim, was elected in January 2005 to Iraq's first democratically-held elections in 50 years.

During his visit to Blackburn, in the run up to the 2005 general election, he told an audience at Audley Community Centre not to vote against Mr Straw, then foreign secretary, because of the war in Iraq.

Coun Mulla said he could not remember which mosques Dr Salih had visited.

Mr Straw could not be contacted for comment.

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Your Say YourBlackburn Citizen

FRANK, BB6 says...
8:34pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Have we any comments from the Blackburn mosques on their extremists?

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Gordon Toole, Blackburn says...
8:45pm Mon 21 Jan 08


Dr Salih is an educated man of the highest calibre in Iraq. He is entitled to his opinion and many people would agree with him that very Many Muslim's in Blackburn and the rest of England have extremist views just like the guy's who blew up innocent people in London and the Guy's who tried to Blow up cars and Glasgow Airport last year!!! Trying to blow up the Jock's was a bad move!!! When it comes to the next elections, the Scottish people will not forget, that I promise you!!! Life will get tough for our Asian communities in around 3 years time so make the most of doing what you want now because things will change when Labour get overthrown!!! I used to be a Labour man myself until Tony Blair ruined this Country, Gordon Brown can only do worse!!!!

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A Cromwell, UK says...
9:01pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Dr Salih is Bush's pet Sunni.
We have to remember what he means by extremism is not what we mean by extremism.
In his country saying anything against Bush results in a mandatory 20-25 year prison sentence.

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a Cohn, London says...
9:21pm Mon 21 Jan 08

This guy is a joke, he thinks praying is extremism and should be banned in mosques.
He believes Mosques are only for politics, his politics.
He believes Mosques are for Bush, not for God.
Mosques that tell people to pray to anything other then Bush including God himself is preaching extremism.

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FRANK, BB6 says...
9:36pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Blackburn mosques are a bit quiet on this.....wonder why

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The Rock, Fort Lauderdale, Florida says...
10:24pm Mon 21 Jan 08

How dare that little jabroni from Iraq make comments like that when he does not know where Blackburn is on the map. My advice advice to him would we to shuv his size 14 up Bush's candy a s s!!!

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imran, blackburn says...
10:26pm Mon 21 Jan 08

this comment is nonesence i go to a lot of mosques in blackburn i have freinds who visit mosques regularly and not once have i come across any sort of terrorist activity i dont no this guy but he must be one of bushs freinds because this stuff is total rubbish this just confirms to me that all this stuff in the media is utter rubbish as i have been to the mosques and its a story about the places i go to and i no this kind of stuff is not going on and is forbidden in islam. No wonder this countries people are at each others throats with stories which are untrue coming out like this.

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Gareth, Blackburn says...
1:53am Tue 22 Jan 08

It wasn't long ago i watched a documentary about terrorist recruitment and they filmed it from the back of a black cab with an asian driver in the front pointing out all the taliban who were living in blackburn and he'd kived over here for 40 years and couldn't stand it never mind accept it. He had to have his face blacked out in case of reprisals and yet he'd proved his worth by serving the community its an outrage that they always deny any ongoings when most folk know whats going on but daren't touch them

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Brownie, Australia says...
4:49am Tue 22 Jan 08

I'm mystified as to why there is not more discussion in the UK about the film, My Son the Fanatic, which in 1997 foreshadowed all this.

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Brian, Blackburn says...
7:37am Tue 22 Jan 08

"Coun Mulla said he could not remember which mosques Dr Salih had visited"

I wonder if he can remember What Mosques Abu Hamza or any of the other radical Imams that have visited Blackburn over the years.. If you what to know why they deny it Google al-Taqiyya. Wake up and smell the coffee.

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Adamsky, says...
9:19am Tue 22 Jan 08

FRANK wrote:
Blackburn mosques are a bit quiet on this.....wonder why
Erm, read the story again. Half of it is comments from the Council of Mosques.

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Me, Somewhere out there says...
9:57am Tue 22 Jan 08

The censors are very touchy about comments from white people, mine was deleted for some reason... free speech... I don't think so

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joseph, blackburn says...
10:15am Tue 22 Jan 08

Do you mind calling non coloured people white? i find it offensive


Salim mulla said :
"How many incidents have we had in Blackburn"

The guy that studied at blackburn islam school who was charged with terrorism

the nice little incident just down the road from my house that involved scotland yard and the ambush of the vehicle carrying a blackburn man, who was again arrested and charged....

No cant think of any either Salim

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Aaron, Accrington says...
10:34am Tue 22 Jan 08

Remember the IRA

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s, accrington says...
11:19am Tue 22 Jan 08

Why the comments on Bush?Blaming him for all the problems doesn`t wash.Who ,in their right mind, would want to live under a murdering mad man like Sadam? or the Taliban, who are so entrenched in the dark ages? There is certainly an element of extremism in Blackburn.All you have to do is go there and see how many women walk around from head to toe in black.Made to by their husbands, brainwashed by their religious leaders, most of whom can`t or won`t speak a word of English.The authorities know what`s happening but won`t act for fear of the p.c. brigade screaming racist.

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Mike Madigan, says...
12:43pm Tue 22 Jan 08

It's sad to see Gordon Toole describe himself as an ex labour man and we will not get to grips with serious problems like extemism in Blackburn if people bow out of the political arena.
I too have witnessed this extremism and make my points within the political circle.
I believe that the "establishment" has exercised too much political correctness over the years and patronised a few influential Muslim leaders in the hope of achieving electoral support. This clearly has not worked and fundamentalism has prospered in the Islamic community to the detriment of integration and cohesion between communities.
People of all political pursuasion should unite on this unwanted facet of life in our town and not seek to give in to demands for more and more separatism.
Perhaps start with a rethink on all Muslim schools.

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JK, says...
12:48pm Tue 22 Jan 08

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN ITS A STORY THAT RELATES TO ASIANS IN ANY WAY, THE WHITE COMMUNITY REALLY GET INVOLVED, AND BLOW IT OUT OF PROPORTION.

DO YOU PEOPLE FEAR THE TRUTH?

OR ARE YOU PEOPLE JUST TRYING TO BLAME ASIANS FOR YOUR PROBLEMS AND MISTAKES?!

Dr Barham Salih IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME AS THE USA/UK INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, BLOWING UP THEIR OWN BUILDINGS AND TRYING TO JUSTIFY A WAR BY SAYING ITS FOR TERRORISM, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS FOR OIL.

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belle, uk says...
2:39pm Tue 22 Jan 08

JK,
The reason we're speaking out is because it's a story about extremists in our country. GOT IT?

Report this post »

dj, Mi says...
3:30pm Tue 22 Jan 08

JK,
You comments about the US blowing up it's own building kind of negates the credibility of any of your opinions. May be you should visit snopes.com to see what other urban legends you cling to as "truth".

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Khondakar Mowla, USA says...
5:29pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Ask this Dr Barham Salih of Iraq if he is ready to accept Khilafah and remind him that Baghdad was capital of Khilafah/Caliphate for 500 years.

Report this post »

csy, says...
6:11pm Tue 22 Jan 08

I wish Dr. Salih could at least describe what literature he saw in which mosques that concerned him so.

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belle, uk says...
7:02pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Well said FrankBB6.

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A D, Blackburn says...
8:04pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Maybe Frank, Gordon et al would like to spend some time in the mosque and make up their own minds about how extreme they are?

This would be more constructive than making xenophobic comments that incite hatred, don't you think?

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James, Blackburn says...
8:34pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Hi there

I visited about 9 mosques last year when they had an open day...well the truth is I found it very useful and mosque is quite place...well we need to understand each other, not fight each other...well we need respect each other...I know there many young people in Blackburn who are promoting & building bridges....so if anyone is interested then go and visit the local mosque....

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arkletten, Scotland says...
1:24am Wed 23 Jan 08

csy writes:
'I wish Dr. Salih could at least describe what literature he saw in which mosques that concerned him so.'

The Policy Exchange Report released in the autumn by Denis McEoin, 'Hijacking British Islam' found extremist literature in two places in Blacburn; the Central Mosque; and in the Masjid-e-Noorul Islam.

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James, says...
11:10am Wed 23 Jan 08

The question is not one of "incidents." It is of Islamic supremacist and jihadist sympathies. Would Salim Mulla care to address that?

Muslims in Blackburn need to stand up to Salafism being imported if they are to retain any credibility.

Report this post »

Simon Schonberg, London says...
3:41pm Wed 23 Jan 08

See a pet poodle of bush comes over from Iraq - visits a mosque and suddenly finds it full of extremism! I guess the reason why Iraq mosques are not full of extremists - is because your government with the American invaders kill all the worshippers! maybe you would like to have the US invade Blackburn and kill all these extremists that you call? All this after having visited Blackburn for a day or two? Is it just me (Jewish) or are our Muslim brothers and sisters in the UK being made to look like scapegoats for every tom dick and harry political character from every country. We all need to wake up and start seeing what this kind of fear of Muslims and Islam is reall meant to create. Jews by Germany were killed some 6 million out of a world wide popluation of some 12-15 million, do you really think it would be simple to kill 1,500,000,000 Muslims? Wake up UK, I for one stand with the Muslims!

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Blackburn born and Bred, Blackburn says...
4:13pm Wed 23 Jan 08

Its amazing to think, That Our Secret services and monitoring agencies, Which are obviously monitoring all activities in and around mosques, (probably using the HiTech surveillance as well as Feedback from concerned members of the community) that despite all that they have not discovered any thing to worry about, Yet this man from Iraq discovers " a dodgy dossier" of sorts within a few minutes of entering a mosque... come on we have to give credibility to our Government services.

And amazingly people come on this forum and beleive word for word what is being said, and undermine the quality work of the secret services.

An unrelated point... People come on this forum and post multiple posts using different alias's.

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Ibrahim Master, Blackburn says...
5:52pm Wed 23 Jan 08

I took Dr Salih around Blackburn that day and not on one occasion did he mention anything about extremism. In fact he and Jack Straw were accomapnied by many police officers at the time, who were duty bound to report (and deal with) any illegal activities. The fact is nothing was done by the police because there was NOTHING to deal with. I am flabbergasted therefore that such vague accusations can be made on such an important matter as this. I am even more flabbergasted that people are coming out with so much hate and poison on this site. Please dont believe everything you read in the papers. Dr Salih only visited ONE mosque and it wasnt the one featured in the tabloids. What more can the mosques and Muslims do - we have held open days, Iftar days, invited hundreds of non Muslims over the years into the mosques. We even had the Bishop of Blackburn as our Chief Guest. Another mosque distributed toys to children in the hospital over Christmas to create goodwill and friendship with the white community. Thats all we want to do - live in peace and harmony. The tabloids have an agenda and that is to smear muslims at any cost. My plea to everyone is to calm down and see this for what it is - a report based on second hand information making outrageous and dangerous remarks. I was there and I can tell you first hand nothing of the sort being alleged happened. Maybe, just maybe Dr Salih is getting the mosque people confused with that group from London who espoused pretty extreme views and were following Jack Straw around during the Gen Election. But they were against the mosque people as well for allowing Jack Straw into the Mosque! Please lets bring some sanity to this debate. Finally, I welcome anyone to contact me if they want to see for themselves what goes on inside a mosque and not hear secondhand from the tabloids. You can get my number from the Lancs Council of Mosques office.

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Brian, Blackburn says...
7:05pm Wed 23 Jan 08

"Maybe Frank, Gordon et al would like to spend some time in the mosque and make up their own minds about how extreme they are?"

Maybe He could visit when they are running one of their famous Saudi Video links or when the latest radical Imam is doing a gig or what about when they are handing DVDs around the faithful.
If you what to gage how radical Blackburn Muslims are becoming count the number of Niqab (full face Vail ) and Burka you see in ASDA. How come they didn't need to wear them 10 years ago?
BTW I love the way you remove valid posts from whitey but you won't remove trype like this:-
"Dr Barham Salih IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME AS THE USA/UK INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, BLOWING UP THEIR OWN BUILDINGS AND TRYING TO JUSTIFY A WAR BY SAYING ITS FOR TERRORISM, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS FOR OIL."

Double Standards me thinks.

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Apple, says...
7:51pm Wed 23 Jan 08

Brian wrote:
"Maybe Frank, Gordon et al would like to spend some time in the mosque and make up their own minds about how extreme they are?" Maybe He could visit when they are running one of their famous Saudi Video links or when the latest radical Imam is doing a gig or what about when they are handing DVDs around the faithful. If you what to gage how radical Blackburn Muslims are becoming count the number of Niqab (full face Vail ) and Burka you see in ASDA. How come they didn't need to wear them 10 years ago? BTW I love the way you remove valid posts from whitey but you won't remove trype like this:- "Dr Barham Salih IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME AS THE USA/UK INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, BLOWING UP THEIR OWN BUILDINGS AND TRYING TO JUSTIFY A WAR BY SAYING ITS FOR TERRORISM, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS FOR OIL." Double Standards me thinks.
Just pop in any time Brian. The doors are always open.

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SAB, burnley says...
8:26pm Wed 23 Jan 08

EVERY1 KNEW THIS BEFORE..WHATS BIG FUSS ABOUT???CLOSE THE 1S THAT ARE EXTREAMIST..THAT WOULD BE 3/4S..WHATS HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY,IT SHOULDNT HAPPEN....ITS NOT A SMALL MINORITY,ITS A LOT,AND THE INAMS CLAIM THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT....YEAH RIGHT

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Bilal Patel, says...
12:19am Thu 24 Jan 08

Ibrahim Master has a nerve to complain. I think what has happened is just desserts for the undemocratic and unpopular decision to help Jack Straw's election campaign by using the mosques. But then he is Jack's poodle, and this how so-called Muslim 'leaders' act anyway.

As for the allaeged Iraqi comment about extremism, this is just more poisonous smear tactics from a Tory MP who didn't have the nerve to say it at the time, but waited for 2 months to say it in a debate in Parliament where Parliamentary immunity is granted so that he is not sued for any defamatory comments he may make. I do not think that the Iraqi minister said anything or the sort that was allaeged and I think the MP simply made it all up. But then again, he's a Tory, so should we expect anything better?

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David, corporation says...
9:47pm Thu 24 Jan 08

Brian the pubs open 24hrs go for a drink.. get a life twitt

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kURT, The Burn says...
11:20pm Thu 24 Jan 08

This town is a mess. Im genuinely scared of what will happen here soon. It's like a nightmare, but the thing is it's real! We are f ucked!

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Anonymous Coward, says...
3:23am Fri 25 Jan 08

See, even Iraqi prime minister reiterates hat European conservatives have said for ages. But socialist proponents of multiculturalism obviously know better. Please build more mosques!

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Sergey, says...
5:45am Fri 25 Jan 08

What a surprise! Actually, European conservatives have been talking about this for ages, but you don't want to listen to some nazies do you? Commie multiculturalists know better. Please build more mosques!

Report this post »

SB, Blackburn says...
12:38pm Fri 25 Jan 08

I'm waiting for him to be brandished an infidel, then we can burn effigies, bay for his blood and shoot wildly in the air.

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Khondakar Mowla, USA says...
1:07am Sat 26 Jan 08

Ask this Dr Barham Salih of Iraq to read the history of Khilfah/Caliphate and that he must accept Khilafah and remind him that Baghdad was capital of Khilafah/Caliphate for 500 years. He must read many book on Khilafah including the following:


http://www.universal
-publishers.com/book
.php?method=ISBN&boo
k=1581128770

Report this post »

intelligent & informed, NW says...
10:17pm Sat 26 Jan 08

For all those ignorant, ill informed, intellectually deliquent and un educated posters ..... first check the facts, understand them and then your gobs to make your comments. What the guy from iraq was objecting to is your democratic right to challenge and question the politicians for that is what happened to him and straw .... inside and outside the mosque. Of course in iraq and in the middle east behaviour of that kind is seen as extremist and liable either with jail or death. Secondly with Straw in attendance do you twits think that the mosque will not be crawling all over with the police and secret service and that they would turn a blind eye. Get real and get a life.

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SB, says...
9:08pm Tue 29 Jan 08

@intelligent & informed

Go repress your wife you ssllllaagggggg, then ask some questions about all organised religion, especially your own... you can't be that intelligent if you're following an unquestioned doctrine conceived millennia ago.

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Comments are closed on this article.

FLASHBACK: Dr Barham Salih, third left, visited Blackburn as a guest of Jack Straw MP in 2005 FLASHBACK: Dr Barham Salih, third left, visited Blackburn as a guest of Jack Straw MP in 2005

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